Athletic shoes can be thought of as having two major components, an upper and a sole. The upper is secured to the sole and provides a cavity for receiving a foot. The upper is generally formed from multiple elements stitched or adhesively bonded together to form a structure for comfortably receiving a foot.
The sole is the interface between the foot and ground and is intended to provide traction, support and cushioning for the wearer. Many soles have a multi-part construction including an outsole and a midsole. The outsole is generally designed for durability and traction. The midsole is commonly designed to absorb the force created as the shoe contacts the ground. There are a number of different cushioning systems that have been used in midsole designs. Some examples of these cushioning systems that are known in the art include: column type supports (including such that have been marketed by NIKE, INC. under the trademark NIKE SHOX®), a foam puck type support (including such that have been marketed by NIKE, INC. under the trademark IMPAX™), foam units, bladders with or without internal tensile elements, as well as several others.
Most team sports require players to wear a uniform. The purpose of the uniform is to identify each player as a member of the team, as well as to provide a sense of unity among the team and a symbol that an outsider can easily associate with the team.
Uniformed shoes have been used as part of the uniform. A uniform shoe gives each player a shoe identical in appearance, i.e., identical upper and sole, and function. Thus, for some teams, each player wears the same shoe design with each model differing only for size. While a team shoe satisfies the need for a uniform appearance, each individual player may have differing needs for comfort, performance and/or safety.